Engine-starting apparatus



March 11, 1930. J. w. LAWSON v ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22, 1928 J. W. LAWSON ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS March. 11, 1930.

Filed June 22, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 2 March 11, 1930.

J. W. LAWSON ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwwntoc aqw M Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES ATENT' OFFICE JOHN W. LAWSON, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DEIiCOJEt-EMY CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A COR-PGRATION OF DELAWARE ENGINE-STARTING APPARATUS Application filed June 22,

This invention relates to apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine and particularly to engine starting apparatus comprising a motor, and an engine cranking member connected with the motor and mounted to move axially into driving connection with a part of the engine to be started.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism for place ing the. engine cranking or driving member,

case abutment takes place.

such as a toothed pinion, in substantially full engagement with the engine part, such as the engine flywheel gear, before the starting motor is operated. Accordingly, the present invention provides for manually moving the driving member axially toward the engine part and for manually rotating the driving member in order to facilitate its driving connection with the engine part in In addition to this feature the present invention provides for manually changing the normal angular relation between the driving member and the engine part so that, in the event that due to a roughening of the engaging surfaces of the driving member and engine part the driving member can be rotated only with great difficulty while being pressed against the engine part, the driving member ms to be manipulated into a different angular position relative to the engine part in order that another attempt to drivingly connect it with the engine part will be successful. Where the driving member is a tooth pinion and the engine part a flywheel gear, there are cases where the roughened surfaces of the abutting pinion and gear teeth will interlock and greatly hinder manual rotation of the pinion.

By the use of the present invention the operation of the retracting of the pinion and moving it forward again toward the flywheel gear will cause the pinion to be rotated slightly so that a different portion will engage the flywheel teeth. Since a different part of the pinion will be located in ahgnment with the flywheel, it is quite likely that gear meshing may be effected after a second attempt.

'In carrying out this ob]ect of the inven- 1928. Serial No. 287,492.

tion the present starter drive comprises a rotatable driving member such as a pinion which is movable axially to engage an engine part such as the engine flywheel gear, a rotatable device such as a shaft for rotating the driving member or pinion and manually operable means for moving a driving member toward the engine part and for turning the rotatable device in one direction of rotation while the driving member is out of engagement with the engine part. By manipulating a manually operable actuating member the rotatable device or driving shaft may be given an intermittent or step-by-step rotary motion so as to vary the angular relation of the driving member with respect to the engine part. As stated before, this sort of motion provides for locating a different portion of the driving member adjacent the engine part so that a second attempt at connecting the driving member and engine part will usually be successful.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentaryv side view partly in section showing engine starting apparatus embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing some of the parts of the engine starting apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view showing the condition of the gear meshing apparatus before the driving member or pinion has been moved so as to be in meshing registration with the engine part or fiywheel'gear.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 and shows the teeth of the pinion abutting teeth of the engine gear.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the pinion in meshing registration with the engine gear.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the condition of the starting apparatus just before the motor switch is closed.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side view of the engine starting apparatus similar to Figs. t and S, but showing the starting apparatus after the engine has been started and before the motor switch is open.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 2O designates the field frame of an electric motor which includes an armature shaft 21 Carry ing an armature 22, and rotatably supported upon end bearings, one of which is shown at 23 and is carried by a gear housing 245 to which the field f ame 20 is secured in any well known manner. The shaft 21 is )ro vided with helical splines 25 upon which the driving member or pinion 26 is threaded. Pinion 26 is movable axially into and out of mesh with engine part or flywheel gear 27.

The pinion 26 is moved axially toward the gear 27 by a manually operated mechanism including an actuating pedal 30 which passes through the floor board 31 of the automobile and is connected with an actuating lever 32 pivoted upon a screw 33 attached to the gear housing 2%. Lever 32 carries at its lower end a pin 3% which is received by an oblique or helical slot 35 provided in the side wall of a tube or sleeve 36 which is attached to a hub 37 slidable along 'he shaft 21 but not driving ly connected therewith. The sleeve 36 is drivingly connected with a driving clutch member 38 which is movable axially into engagement with a driven clutch member provided by shaping left handend faces of the teeth of the pinion 26 so as to provide clutch teeth- 39 which cooperate with the teeth of the clutch 38.

As the pin 3 moves toward the right in Fig. 1 it tends both to rotate and to axially move the sleeve 36. In order to prevent rotation of the sleeve 36 before the pinion is moved into contact with the gear 27, the

a gear housing 24, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with a guide recess 40 which receives a plunger 41 urged by a spring -12 toward the sleeve 36. The sleeve 36 is provided with portions 43 and 4-1 at difierent distances radially from the axis of the sleeve 36 and joined by a longitudinally extending shoulder or ridge 45 w iich is normally engaged by the plunger a1. As the pin 3% moves toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, it tends to rotate the sleeve 36 as indicated by the arrow 46 in Fig. 1, or as indicated by the arrow e7 in Fig. 2. Rotation in this direction is resisted through the engagement of the plunger il with the ridge 4-5 of the sleeve 36.- This resistance is continued until the lost motion between the clutch members 33 and 39 and between the pinion 26 and the gear 27 is taken up.

Ordinarily the mode of operation of the engine starter is as follows: The operator presses the pedal 30 in order to move the lever 32 counter-clockwise and to cause the sleeve 36 to engage the pinion 26 and to move it against the gear 27. In case the pinion 26 is not immediately registered with the tooth faces of the gear 27 further movement of the pedal 30 downwardly will cause the pin 3a to cooperate with the sleeve 36 in such manner as to rotate it in a direction of the arrow 2L6 as viewed in Fig; 1 so that the pinion 26 will be rotated into moshing relation with the gear 27 while being pressed against the gear. Further motion of the pedal 30 downwardly will cause the pinion 26 to be moved into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 8 in which positionthe pinion 26 is nearly fully meshed with the engine gear 27. Still further movement of the levers 32 downwardly will cause the pedal to render the motor operative to crank the engine due to the engagement of the lever 32 with aswitch actuating member 50, and the movement. of the latter downwardly to close the motor switch which is contained within a switch case 51 mounted upon the motor frame 20. hen the motor starts to turn the shaft 21 the pinion 26 will be moved from thefull= line position shown in Fig. 8 into broken line position 26 and thereaft r the pinion will turn with the shaft 21 to crank the engine through the flywheel gear 27. The direction of rotation of the shaft is clockwise as vie ved from-the right end of Fig. 8 or as indlcated by arrow 52 in F 1g. 8. Owing tothe friction drag between the shaft 21 and the hub 37" of the sleeve 36and the camming action between the pin-34 and theedge surface 35 of the slot 35, the sleeve 36' will be moved from positionshown in full linesin Fig. 8 to the positionin dot and dashlines designated by the numeral 36 in Fig. 8, or into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 9.

lVhen the engine starts the pinion 26 will be automatically demeshedand will be moved into the position shown in Fig. 9. After the engine has started the operator may release the pedal 30 to permit a spring 55, which is received by recess 56' in the housing 2% and which is connected with a plunger 57 contacting with a lever 32, to move the lever 32 from the position shown in Fig. 9 to the normal position as shown in Fig. 1. During the movement of the lever 32 into normal position the motor switch is opened due to upward movement of the switch actuator produced by the expansion of a spring 58 which is confined between the actuator 50 and the switch case 51; and during movement of the lever to normal position the sleeve 36 is rotated baclrto normal position from the position shown in Fig. 9 due to the cooperation of the pin 34 with the edge surface-35 defining the slot 35. In this way the normal relation between the plunger 41 and the longitudinal 'idge 15, shown in Fig. 2, is restored.

The spring 55 operates through the plunger 57, the lever 32 and the sleeve 36 to apply a brake which operates to bring the shaft 21 quickly to rest after the motor switch is open. This brake includes a brake disc 60 attached to the shaft 21, a floating brake disc 61 made preferably of cork or other suitable brake material and a metal brake disc 62 which is loosely supported upon the shaft 21 and which carries an extension 63 for engaging a rela tively stationary part in order that the disc cannot move in the direction of rotation of the shaft 21 as produced by the operation .of the electric motor. This stationary part is preferably a bar 6 1 attached by screws 65 to the gear housing 24 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The engine starting apparatus which has been thus far described is the subject matter of the copending application of John B. Dyer, Serial No. 245,300, filed J anuary 11, 1928, and the novel features of the present invention which are adapted to cooperate with the form of engine starter such as shown in the Dyer application referred to will now be described.

It occasionally happens that when gear tooth abutment occurs, as shown in Fig. 5, the pinion cannot be rotated manually without also rotating the engine gear due to the fact that the abutting surfaces of the teeth of the pinion and teeth of the gear may have become so roughened with use that these surfaces will interlock with each other in such manner as to prevent rotating the pinion relative to the gear. It will, therefore, be seen that if the driver attempts to turn the pinion by exerting sufficient pressure upon the pedal 30 to cause the pinion to turn the engine gear, the gear meshing mechanism will be unduly strained. When the meshing of gears is unduly resisted or obstructed, the natural impulse is to release the pedal 30 and to repeat the operation. The present invention therefore provides that, at some time during the operation of releasing the pedal 30 and pressing it again to make another attempt at gear meshing, the pinion will be rotated into a different angular position relative to the gear so that when it is moved into contact with the gear a second time it will be in a position wherein meshing can be more easily accomplished. It will be noted that the pinion 26 is normally maintained in spaced relation to the gear 27 by a relatively light spring located between the gear 26 and the outwardly extending annular flange 71 of a stop collar 72 having an inwardly extending annular flange 73 for engaging a stop ring 74 received by a groove 75 in the shaft 21. The ring 7 4, which is a resilient split wire ring, resists movement of the stop collar 72 toward the right so that the stop collar may be engaged by the pinion 26 and receive its axial thrust while it is cranking the engine. l/Vhile the pinion 26 is being moved from its normal position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 4, it tends to move in a spiral path about the shaft 21 due to its connection with the helical splines 25. Since the pinion 26 is operatively connected with the clutch 38 and hence with the sleeve 36 while it is being moved shown in the position in Fig. 1 to the position in Fig. 4:, the pinion will tend to turn the sleeve 36 in the direction of the arrow 76 in Fig. 1. Motion of the sleeve 36 in this direction is limited by the end surface 35 of the slot 35 engaging the pin 34:. Therefore the present invention provides means for preventing rotation of the pinion 26 while it is beingmoved axially toward the gear 27. Since the pinion is not permitted to rotate while thus moving axially, the shaft 25 is caused to rotate a substantial amount in a clockwise direction, indicated by the arrows 77 in Figs. 5 and 6.

If, as indicated in Fig. 5, such an obstruction between the abutting teeth of the pinion and flywheel gear is encountered as to prevent manually rotating the pinion relative to the gear while being pressed against it, this obstruction may be relieved by releasing the pedal 30 so as to permit the pinion 26 to return due to the action of the spring 70 to normal position. When the pinion 26 has returned again to normal position it will not occupy the same position angularly with respect to the engine part as it formerly occu pied, because the shaft had been turned beforethe pinion was last restored to normal axial position. Therefore, the pinion 26 may have returned to an angular position shown in Fig. 6 in which its teeth are in alignment with the tooth spaces of the engine gear. Consequently the pinion is located for ready enmeshment with the engine gear for the next star ting operation. 7

It is clear then that the operations of pushing the pinion 26 against the gear 27 and then releasing the pinion to permit it to return to normal axial position will cause the shaft 21 to be intermittently rotated by step-by-step motion; and, between each intermittent rotary movement of the shaft 21, there will be a return movement of the pinion to normal axial position and a rotation of the pinion as it returns along the shaft into a new angular position. The pinion is angularly displaced in this manner approximately onehalf the spacing of the pinion teeth, so that in case of a tooth-jamming condition a second attempt at gear meshing will cause the pinion to be readily meshed with the engine gear.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

lVhat is claimed is as follows:

1. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatab'le. driving: member movable axially to engage with a driven part connected with the engine to be started, but normally spaced from the engine part; a rotatable device for rotating the driving member; and manually operable means for moving the driving member toward the engine part and for turning the rotatable device only during the movement of the driving member toward the engine part.

2. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving member movable axially to engage with a driven part connected with the engine to be started but normally spaced from the engine part; a rotatable device; motion transmittin connections between the de vice and driving member such that relative rotary motion between them is accompanied by relative axial movement of the driving member; means for moving the drivingmember axially toward the engine part; and means for preventing rotation of the driving member so that the rotatable device will be rotated only while the driving member is being'moved toward the engine part.

3. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving member movable axially to engage with a driven part connected with the engine to be started but normally spaced from the engine part; a rotatable shaft along which the driving member is movable and with which the member. is connected; and manually operable means for moving the driving member toward the engine part and for turning the shaft only during movement of the driving member toward the engine part;

a. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving member movable axially to engage with a driven part connected with the engine to be started but normally spaced from. the engine part; a rotatable shaft along which the driving member is movable and with which the member is connected; motion transmitting connections between the shaft and drivingmember such that relative rotary motion between them is accompanied by relative axial movement of the driving member; manually operable means for moving the driving member axially toward the engine part; and means for preventing rotation of the driving, member only while it is being moved toward the engine part'so that the shaft will be rotated by said manually operable means only during movement of the driving member toward the engine part.

5. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving member movable axially to engage with a driven part connected with the engine. to be started but normally spaced from the engine part; a rotatable device; motion transmitting. connections between the device and driving member such that relative rotary motion: between them is accompanied "by relative axial movement of the driving member; means for moving the driving member axially toward the engine part and for rotating the driving member while it is pressed axially against the engine part; and means for preventing rotation of the driving member only while it moves toward the engine part so that the rotatable device will be rotated only during movement of the driving member toward the engine part.

An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving member movable a-Xiall y to o We with a driven part connected with the no to be started but normally spaced .onr the engine part; a rotatable shaft along ch the driving member is movable and i which the member is connected; manually operable means for moving the driving member toward the engine part and for turning the shaft only during movement of the driving member toward the engine part, and for rota the driving member while it is;

ed axiall against the engine part; and for preventing rotation of the drivin; member only while it is being moved toward the engine part so that the shaft will be roed by said manually operable means only during movement oi the driving member tord the engine part.

7. An engine starter drive comprising a hoi ally l ned operating shaft; a pinion ii adei upon the sphned shaft and movable ally into mesh with the of an engine 0 be started, but normally spaced from the gear; manually operable means for movthe pinion toward the gear; and means for preventing. rotation of the pinion only during its movement toward the so that the shaft will be rotated manually when the pinion moves axially in one direction only.

8. An engi .e starter drive comprising a helically SJll'll0(l operating shaft; a pinion threaded upon the splincd shaft and movable axially into mesh with the gear of an engine to be started but normally spaced from the manually operablenicmistornioving the p on toward the gear and for turning the pinion while it is being pressed against the gear; and means for preventing rotation of the pinion only during its movement toward the gearso that the sha'l't will be rotated mannally when the pinion moves axially in one direction only.

9. in engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving member mo able axially to or 7 go with a driven part connected with the engine to be started but normally spaced from the engine part; a rotatable device; motion transmitting connections between the device and driving member such that relative rotary motion between them is accompanied by relative axial movement of the driving member; means for moving the driving member axially toward the engine part and for rotating the driving member while it'is pressed axially against the engine part, said means including axially engageable clutch members, one being attached to the driving member; and means for preventing rotation of the clutch members only while the driving member moves toward the engine part so that the rotatable device will be rotated only during movement of the driving member toward the engine part.

10. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving member movable axially to engage with a driven part connected with the engine to be started but normally spaced from the engine part; a rotatable shaft along which the driving member is movable and with which the member is connected; manually operable means for moving the driving member toward the engine part and for turning the shaft only during movement of the driving member toward the engine part and for rotating the driving member while it is being pressed axially against the engine part, said means including axially 'engageable clutch members, one being attached to the driving member; and means for preventing rotation of the clutch members only while the driving member moves toward the engine part so that the shaft will be rotated only during movement of the driving member toward the engine part.

11. An engine starter drive comprising a helically splined operating shaft; a pinion threaded upon the splined shaft and movable axially into mesh with the gear of an engine to be started, but normally spaced from the gear; manually operable means for moving the pinion toward the gear and for rotating the pinion while it is being pressed axially against the engine gear, said means including axially engageable clutch members, one being attached to the pinion; and means for preventing rotation of the pinion only during its movement toward the gear so that the shaft will be rotated manually when the pinion moves axially in one direction only.

12. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving member movable axially to engage with a driven part connected with the engine to be started but normally spaced from the engine part; a rotatable device; motion transmitting connections between the device and driving member such that relative rotary motion between them is accompanied by relative axial movement of the driving member; means for axially moving the driving member; and means for preventing rotation of the driving member during one direction only of its axial movement whereby the rotatable device will rotate.

13. An engine starter drive comprising a helically splined operating shaft; a pinion threaded upon the splined shaft and movable axially into mesh with the gear of an engine to be started but normally spaced from the gear; means for moving the pinion axially;

and means preventing rotation of the pinion in one direction only of its axial movement whereby the shaft will rotate.

14. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving member movable axially to engage with a driven part connected with the engine to be started but normally spaced from the engine part; a rotatable device; motion transmitting connections between the device and driving member such that relative rotary motion betwen them is accompanied by relative axial movement of the driving member; a manually operable device for connecting the driving member with the engine part and including axially engageable clutch members, one connected with the driving member, and an actuating element so connected with the other clutch member as to move the same axially and to rotate it in case the driving member abuts the engine part before being drivingly connected therewith; and means for preventing the turning of the clutch only while the driving member is being moved toward the engine part whereby the rotatable device will be turned, the retracting of the actuating element permitting the driving element to return to normal position unrestrained; and means for restoring the driving member to normal position.

15. An'engine starter drive comprising a helically splined operating shaft; a pinion threaded upon the splined shaft and movable axially into mesh with the gear of an engine to be started but normally spaced from the gear; means for moving the pinion axially and comprising an actuating element and axially engageable clutch members, one connected with the pinion and the other so connected with the actuating element that the clutch will be rotated in case the pinion abuts the engine gear before meshing; means for preventing rotation of the clutch while the pinion is being moved thereby toward the gear, the retracting of the actuating element permitting the pinion to return to normal position unrestrained; and means for restoring the pinion to normal position.

16. Engine starting apparatus comprising in combination, a motor having a rotating part, means for connecting the motor part with a part of the engine to be started and including a driving member and provisions whereby the driving member will be automatically disconnected from the engine part when the engine starts, said driving member being normally spaced from the engine part and axially movable into connection therewith; and means for moving the driving member axially relative to the engine part and for rotating the motor part only during movement of driving member toward the engine part.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my sig nature.

JOHN W. LAWSON. 

